Bryan Johnson: The Entrepreneur Biohacking Himself to Immortality 

Bryan Johnson's journey from selling cell phones to pioneering brain-computer interfaces and exploring anti-aging techniques underscores his relentless drive for innovation and improvement. Through ventures like Braintree, OS Fund, and Kernel, Bryan Johnson has consistently pushed the boundaries of technology.

However, his most intriguing endeavour is Project Blueprint, a bold attempt to defy aging through rigorous biohacking methods. From caloric restriction and supplements to controversial plasma transfusions,Bryan  Johnson's pursuit of longevity challenges the limits of science and medicine. As he continues to explore the frontiers of human potential, Johnson's work promises to reshape our understanding of aging and human capabilities.

Early Ventures and Entrepreneurial Beginnings

Bryan Johnson's entrepreneurial spirit was evident early on, between 1999 and 2003, he launched three startups. His first venture involved selling cell phones, which helped him finance his education at Brigham Young University. Johnson hired fellow college students to sell service plans and cell phones, earning about $300 in commission per sale.

Bryan Johnson's next two ventures were Inquist, a VoIP company blending features of Vonage and Skype, and a $70 million real estate project with his brother. Despite these projects ultimately failing to achieve their sales goals, Johnson remained undeterred.

Braintree: Revolutionizing Payment Systems

In 2007, Bryan Johnson founded Braintree, a company specialising in mobile and web payment systems for e-commerce. Braintree quickly rose to prominence, ranking 47th on Inc. Magazine's 2011 list of the 500 fastest-growing companies. In 2012, Braintree acquired Venmo, an app facilitating electronic money transfers between users, for $26.2 million.

By 2013, Braintree was processing $12 billion in payments annually, with $4 billion on mobile. This success attracted PayPal, which acquired Braintree for $800 million in September 2013. The sale left Bryan Johnson with over $300 million, propelling him into new ventures.

OS Fund: Investing in the Future

In October 2014, Bryan Johnson announced the creation of the OS Fund, a venture capital firm focusing on early-stage science and technology companies. He backed the fund with $100 million of his capital, to support innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems.

Recently, the fund has shifted its focus towards Web 3.0 startups, claiming that: 

“OS Venture invests in early-stage, web 3.0 infrastructure startups and projects. We identify projects with innovative ideas for today’s blockchain problems and work with them from ideation to strategy and market adoption” - OS Ventures (osventure.com)

Kernel: Bridging the Brain to Technology

Bryan Johnson's most ambitious project to date is Kernel, founded in 2016 with a $100 million investment from Bryan Johnson himself. Kernel's mission is to create devices that monitor and record brain activity, potentially transforming our understanding of the human brain.

In 2020, Kernel unveiled helmet-like devices capable of measuring electrical and hemodynamic signals from the brain. These devices hold promise for applications in studying Alzheimer's disease, aging, concussions, meditation states, and strokes. They could also help paralysed individuals communicate and provide new therapies for mental health challenges.

Project Blueprint: The Quest for Longevity

In addition to his technological endeavours, Bryan Johnson has attracted notoriety for his controversial anti-aging initiative, Project Blueprint, launched on October 13, 2021. Bryan Johnson claims to have improved various biomarkers through practices such as caloric restriction, intermittent fasting, taking numerous supplements and medications, maintaining a strict sleep schedule, and undergoing frequent diagnostic testing.

One of the more controversial aspects of Project Blueprint involved Johnson receiving a series of six monthly 1-litre plasma transfusions, with his son serving as a donor for one session. Johnson has since ceased this practice due to a lack of observed benefits, a stance supported by the FDA, which has warned against such procedures.

Despite scepticism from some experts, Bryan Johnson remains committed to his rigorous lifestyle and dietary regimen in pursuit of life extension. Critics like Moshe Szyf, a pharmacology professor at McGill University, and Andrew Steele, a longevity scientist, argue that genetics play a more significant role in determining life expectancy than Johnson's methods can influence.

Conclusion

Bryan Johnson's journey from selling cell phones to pioneering brain-computer interfaces and exploring anti-aging techniques underscores his relentless drive for innovation and improvement. Through Braintree, OS Fund, Kernel, and Project Blueprint, Bryan Johnson continues to push the boundaries of what technology and science can achieve, inspiring others to think boldly and pursue transformative ideas.